Lost in Time: ADHD, Executive Function, and the Challenge of “Time Blindness”
A Story of Getting Lost
I once worked with a student who often seemed to “get lost” in class. She would check out and have no idea what the class was doing. Later, when we reviewed her assignments on the school portal, we’d see teachers’ notes saying, “We went over this in class” — but she had no memory of those instructions.
The same thing happened at home. We’d create plans together for how to structure her afternoons, but she constantly ran out of time. Whether it was assignments, chores, or even getting ready to leave the house, time seemed to slip through her fingers.
Yes, this student had ADHD — but here’s the important part: you don’t need an ADHD diagnosis to struggle with time as an executive function skill.
What We Know About Time and Executive Function
Executive function is what allows us to plan, organize, and regulate ourselves across time. Time isn’t just a clock on the wall; it’s a mental framework. When EF skills are shaky, time can feel slippery or inconsistent.
Time as an EF skill involves:
Time perception: sensing how long tasks take, estimating accurately, and noticing the passage of time.
Time management: allocating attention and effort across deadlines, balancing priorities, and sequencing steps.
Time regulation: starting on time, pacing work, and transitioning between activities.
When EF is strong, these skills create an internal rhythm for daily life. When EF is weak, the rhythm falls apart — and students “get lost,” both in class and in their schedules.
What We Know About ADHD and Time
For students with ADHD, time challenges are particularly pronounced. Research describes ADHD as a disorder of “time perception” as much as attention. Students may:
Struggle to estimate how long things will take.
Experience the present moment as overwhelming (“now”) and the future as abstract (“not now”).
Feel time speeding up when engaged, or dragging endlessly when bored.
Have difficulty holding deadlines in mind without external cues.
This is why ADHD is often linked to the phrase “time blindness.” But again, time management difficulties can affect anyone with EF challenges — ADHD simply makes them more visible.
Why It Matters
When students are “lost in time,” they miss more than instructions or deadlines. They miss opportunities to feel competent, confident, and connected. What looks like laziness or carelessness is often just an executive function skill gap.
The good news? Time is a skill that can be supported. With external structures, visual anchors, and consistent coaching, students can learn to “see” time more clearly and practice managing it.
From “Lost” to Active Student
This was the very student who inspired me to create what is now one of my most-used strategies: the Active Student Tool. We began using it together in coaching sessions, and then shared it with her teachers so she could carry the same approach into class. At home, her family added a WatchMinder for gentle reminders, which worked beautifully alongside the tool.
Bit by bit, she learned how to pause, reset, and stay engaged. The difference was striking — instead of drifting through lessons or running out of time, she started to notice herself in the moment and take control.
That’s the heart of executive function support: helping students become active participants in their own learning.
I still teach the Active Student Tool in my course today — and every time I do, I think of this student and how it changed her path. If you’re curious about what the tool is and how to use it with your students, you’ll want to explore the course where I walk through it in detail.
